14

Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher (Tanysiptera sylvia) Alternate name(s): "White-tailed Kingfisher", "Racquet-tailed Kingfisher" Aboriginal name(s): Race "sylvia": "giragira" [ngadjon] Size: ca. 35 cm (male; incl. tail streamers [13 cm]), ca. 30 cm (female); wing span 34-35 cm Body mass: 40-60 g

Australia: Family Group 14 Family Group 14 Table Australian Swiftlet Pacific Swift White-throated Needletail Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher Yellow-billed Kingfisher Azure Kingfisher Little Kingfisher Forest Kingfisher Red-backed Kingfisher Torresian Kingfisher Sacred Kingfisher Blue-winged Kookaburra Laughing Kookaburra Rainbow Bee-eater Dollarbird Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Birds home page

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfishers are relatively small kingfishers with an enormously long tail. The azure-blue cap is fringed by black behind the eyes and on the nape of the neck. The mantle, back, rump and tail are white (only the outer, shorter tail feathers are azure-blue). The wing coverts are azure-blue, while the flight feathers are black. The front, from chin and sides of the neck to the undertail coverts is deep rufous-orange. Their characteristic features are the striking red bill and the extremely long tail streamers. The irises are dark; legs and feet are also red. Differences between the sexes are small; the most prominent difference is that males have longer tail streamers than females. Juveniles are much duller than adults. They are streaked brown where adults are rufous and their bill is grey. Legs and feet are pale and the tail is much shorter than an adult's.

Taxonomy, classification See Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher is available HERE . There are two races of Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfishers, which are a migratory species found only on Guinea, the island of New Britain (Papua New Guinea) and in far north-eastern Australia. Race "salvadoriana" breeds only in south-eastern New Guinea. In Australia, only Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfishers, race "sylvia" are found. They populate the eastern coastal fringe of northern QLD, from the tip of Cape York peninsula to about Mackay, QLD, in the South. They venture farther southward, to about the tropic of Cancer near Byfield/Yeppoon, QLD, only occasionally. Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfishers only stay in tropical low-land rainforest.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "sylvia" B. Hensen and M. Eaton report finding Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfishers, race "sylvia", at Kingfisher Park, Julatten, QLD, in November 2018. J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours spotted Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfishers, race "sylvia", at Kingfisher Park, Julatten, QLD, in December 2019. Another was found along Black Mountain Road, Kuranda, QLD, in November 2022.

Photos

Race "sylvia"

ADULT

PAIR

Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism, i.e., male and female have differing appearances which can be quite subtle.
Male Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfishers, left, have longer tail streamers than females.

MALE

Close-up frontal view of a male Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher looking sideways - note the extraordinary length of the tail streamers (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Black Mountain Road, Kuranda, QLD, November 2022]

Near-frontal view of a male Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Kingfisher Park, Julatten, QLD, November 2018]

Near-lateral view of a male Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher looking sideways
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Kingfisher Park, Julatten, QLD, November 2018]

Lateral view of a male Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kingfisher Park, Julatten, QLD, November 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a male Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Kingfisher Park, Julatten, QLD, December 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a male Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Kingfisher Park, Julatten, QLD, December 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a male Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kingfisher Park, Julatten, QLD, November 2018]

Dorsal view of a male Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kingfisher Park, Julatten, QLD, November 2018]

FEMALE

Near-frontal view of a female Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher; note the, compared to the males shown above, somewhat shorter tail streamers (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kingfisher Park, Julatten, QLD, November 2018]

Near-frontal view of a female Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Kingfisher Park, Julatten, QLD, November 2018]

Near-lateral view of a wet female(?) Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher looking towards the observer
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kingfisher Park, Julatten, QLD, November 2018]

Dorsal view of a female Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Kingfisher Park, Julatten, QLD, November 2018]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Oct - Jan

Eggs: 3 - 4

Incubation period: 26 - 28 days

Fledging age: 26 - 29 days

Nest building: (?)Female & male

Incubation: Female & male

Dependent care: Female & male

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Tunnel

Material: Arboreal termite mound

Height above ground: 1 - ? m

Entrance to a Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher nest in a low termite mound in tropical rainforest (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Kingfisher Park, Julatten, QLD, November 2018]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 25 x 22 mm

Colour: Lustrous white

Shape: Oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Migratory

Elementary unit: Solitary/pair

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.